WORLD

N.K. accepts S. Korea's offer for parliamentary meeting

AzerTAg.az

North Korea on Thursday accepted Seoul's proposal to hold the first-ever inter-Korean parliamentary meeting within this year, according to Yonhap News Agency.

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang made the offer in a letter last week to North Korea's ceremonial leader Kim Yong-nam. It was delivered by the unification minister in Pyongyang.

Choe Thae-bok, the chairman of the North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), said in a response that he agrees to the proposal "in principle," according to Moon's office.

"The role of the Koreas' parliaments and political parties is very important in implementing the April and September inter-Korean summit agreements," Choe said in the letter to Moon. "In this regard, we agreed to the offer in principle."

Choe also expressed hope that the National Assembly will ratify the inter-Korean summit accords as soon as possible.

President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their third summit on Sept 18-20 in Pyongyang, following meetings in April and May.

The chiefs of the ruling party and two other minor liberal parties accompanied the president on the trip and verbally delivered the speaker's message when they met with Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Presidium of the SPA.

The date and other details of the parliamentary meeting are expected to be set during high-level government talks to be held soon to discuss ways to implement the latest summit deal.

South Korea's parliament said it will set up a task force to prepare for the meeting.